Every parent knows babies and small children sleep and drink a lot. But if your child is suddenly much drowsier or thirstier than usual, it could be a symptom of type 1 diabetes.
It used to be called juvenile diabetes because most of the people who got it were young children. Your child could get type 1 diabetes as an infant, or later, as a toddler or a teen. Most often, it appears after age 5. But some people don’t get it until their late 30s.
If your child has type 1 diabetes, it means her pancreas — an organ in the upper-right side of the belly — makes little or no insulin. The condition is an autoimmune disorder, which means it happens when the body’s defense system attacks and destroys cells that make insulin.
Symptoms:
- Sudden strange behavior
- Breath that smells fruity, sweet, or like wine
- Extreme drowsiness or lack of energy
- Ongoing, intense thirst
- Grunting while breathing
- Huge appetite
- Sudden vision changes
- Sudden weight loss
- Peeing more often
- Difficulty breathing